Many would consider spring over with the conclusion of the Memorial Day holiday. I usually view spring as being a quagmire of wet weather and muddy fields. With the absence of April showers this year, did we deserve May flowers? Many also think of spring cleaning, and that definitely occurred Read more…
Do you receive too many emails? I remember being excited to get an email. Now I get too many. It takes time to sort through the junk and pertinent mail, especially when the workday is long. However, some emails also contain enjoyable tidbits. I enjoy my emails from the Forest Read more…
There has finally been significant rainfall for Will County. I had noticed some very deficient growth in some of my spring crops during the dry April. An area of drought had encircled Lake Michigan and my hay fields were visibly showing it. This week I will make some random observations; Read more…
There has finally been significant rainfall for Will County. I had noticed some very deficient growth in some of my spring crops during the dry April. An area of drought had encircled Lake Michigan and my hay fields were visibly showing it. This week I will make some random observations; Read more…
My father was not a talkative man. There is only one true piece of farming advice that I remember, now a full 12 years after his passing. He said, “Farmers will always do the opposite of the year before if it didn’t work. They should do the same thing since Read more…
Some aspects of farming have changed in my lifetime. When I was young I remember the push to finish planting corn, hopefully by Mothers Day. After corn planting was done you would plant soybeans. If you were fortunate you were putting the planter away for the year by June. 50 Read more…
I have spent the last week thinking of the right things to say to encourage drivers to be safer drivers, especially when encountering farm equipment on our local roads. I have to admit, my words probably would not make much difference. Is it possible the cell phone has made the Read more…
It is baby chick season. For the 4th time in my adult life I have become the surrogate father of 100 day-old chickens. I am entering my 10th year of raising back yard laying hens. I thought I knew chickens, but it turns out I was clueless to many of Read more…
Mother Nature has fooled me once again. Last week I wrote about the rising cost of fertilizer. Even when fertilizer is not expensive, I try to never waste any. Each spring I struggle with the most efficient way to fertilize my wheat fields. If I apply too early, on frozen Read more…
Spring has arrived. The grass is green and the temperatures are rising. The temperature is not the only thing rising; I suspect many are watching the price of gas. Many prices are rising, which reminds me of the quote, “A rising tide lifts all ships.“ Will farmers like myself be Read more…